A.I.D.S. Publicity (Press, 11 December 1985)

In a letter published on 11 December 1985, Varian J. Wilson expressed concerns about the legalisation of buggery, despite having withdrawn his opposition to legislation put forth primarily by the Labour Party. He hoped that this change would lead to a more responsible attitude among the gay community towards AIDS, a significant public health issue with over 5,000 deaths reported in New York alone. Wilson referenced discussions from the Gay Liberation Front, which initially ignited the movement in New York, questioning whether "compulsive sexuality" equates to personal freedom. He noted that counselling sessions for 800 men with sexual compulsivity took place in New York bathhouses and highlighted a study that indicated a decrease in promiscuity, with participants averaging 18 partners a year compared to 64 before intervention. Additionally, Wilson mentioned concerns from Dr Barker, who had acknowledged that poor evaluations related to children's products had harmed the market but failed to advocate for removing known AIDS-infected homosexuals from broader society. Wilson chastised this approach, particularly regarding the implications of active pederasts and their known compulsive personalities in the context of AIDS transmission. Overall, Wilson's letter reflected a mixture of apprehension about sexual freedoms as they intersected with public health crises and criticism of responses to these issues within the gay community.

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